Back from the feminist camp

The feminist camp in Poland lasted for 6 days, from August 2nd to August 8th , and gathered 47 participants from 7 European countries (Poland, Germany, Serbia, France, Portugal, Finland, Czech Republic out of which also migrants from Syria and Brazil living in EU). During this time we had 6 days of discussions and workshops about the feminist analysis of the present situation in our countries and the common problems that we share, and about our engagement in the feminist movements and social struggles. We discussed among other: the post-soviet systemic transition and feminist movements; housing struggles – resistance to evictions, squatting; systemic reproduction of gender violence; care and social provision in neoliberal state; woman only space as a feminist strategy; freedom movements and migrants in the times of war; concrete situation and attacks on abortion access in Europe; struggles for access to land and food sovereignty. We also shared the experiences, the tools and strategies of our local activist groups in the contexts of the present attacks on women’s, workers and other social rights, as well as in the context of backlash against progressive social movements.

The caravan team was involved in preparing several workshops. We had presentation about Kurdish women were we mapped practices of resistance of Kurdish women which we witnessed during our stay there. Also, we had a workshop about women only spaces as a way of organizing struggles of women against patriarchy and capitalism, and in this context we spoke about sexism and misogyny which we as women face in mixed movements, and about the opportunities which we get from women only spaces for creating alternative ways of resistance. In the workshop about abortion we discussed about situations in different countries and in that context we analyzed the roll of church, state and right wings parties, which are product of cultural and social norms which characterize values and laws of patriarchy and neoliberal politics. Also, the Caravan team organized a workshop about food sovereignty. We also developed the common goals of our struggles for the future – we managed to conduct 4 plenary assemblies during which we planned with what tools, tactics and strategies we can tackle the most vibrant problems we are facing.

In this 6 days we were trying to face with different politics, create possibilities for alternative struggles and live together. We were trying to organize our activities horizontally in every domain of our lives. Starting with organizing the cleaning of house and cooking, to organizing the plenum session. In all activities we were trying to include everyone in each aspect of community life, and that way we tried to make alternative space.